Process of texturing brick



E. V. POSTON PROCESS OF TEXTURING BRICK Filed Aug. 51, 1926 2Sheets-Sheetl IN VEN TOR. W/fnesses;

1,6,4L047 1927' E. v. POSTON PROCESS OF TEXTURING BRICK Filed Aug. 3l1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 11V V EN TOR. M/l'fnesses:

a f g s.

Patented Aug. 30, 1927.

UNITED STATES 3mm V. POSTON, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

PROCESS OF TEXTURINGFBRICK.

Application filed August 81, 1928. 842112. No. 1823500.

My invention relates to-a novel method for producing a face brick andparticularly an improvement on the method of getting a beautiful andnatural texture on the surface of the brick such as will produceattractive light and shadow effects on the face of the brick or ends.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a method wherebyfacing brick may be manufactured economicallyin great quantities with asimple process and to be able with the method to produce a texture onthe exposed brick surfaces somewhat similar to what might be observed onthe broken surfaces of. a brick when broken in two and not cut and thusgiving the general appearance of a brick face untouched by mechanicalcontact.

A further object of my invention is to provide a method wherebygranulated clay or other suitably granular particles may be' forciblyblown against the surface of the plastic clay column as the column movesalong out of "the die causing the granular particles to cut into thesmooth surface of the clay column and break up the smoothness in a waythat produces a beautiful, natural texture on the brick face.

I attain the objects :of my invention described in the annexedspecifications recited in the'claims and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings in which like reference numerals indicate like parts in theseveral figures.

, eferring to the figures:

Figure 1 is an end view of the device of my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device of my invention.

Figure 3 is a top view of the device of my invention.

Figure 4 is a. detail showing a method of blowing the granulated clay orother granular particles against the plastic clay column.

Figure 5 is a detail of the device of my invention adapted to catch thegranular particles after they bounce ofi of the top surface of theplastic clav column and carry them over the sides of the clay column tofall out of the way.

Figure 6 is a perspective of a brick disclosing the texture obtainablewith the process and apparatus of my invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, I wish to point out the intendedrelation of the working parts of the device when in normal operationtexturing brick bythe method of my invention.

It will be seen that I provide a hopper --1 for containing granulatedclay or other granular particles -9. intended to be forcibly blown.against the clay column 3- by a force of pressure such as high pressuresteam or compressed air and the like applied through pipe -4.

By observing Figure 1 it will be seen that the granulated particles ofclay for instance will come down from the hopper and be forcibly blownagainst the clav column -3- through nozzles 5--, 6 and -7- where it willbe seen that nozzles 5,-G- and are the outlets for the granularparticles coming from the hopper 1-.

Pressure pipe connects with pipes 8 9-- and lO-- for carrying compressedair or steam tothe nozzles 5--, 6 and -7 and are so constructed as to beable to blow the granular particles of clay and the like with variableforce against the top surface and the two side surfaces of clay column3- simultaneously so that when such particles strike the plastic columnthey cut into the smooth surface of the column sufliciently tobreak upthe smoothness thereof and produce a surface that is natural inappearance and which will take on abeautitul effect inlight and shadow.

The texture may be varied in coarseness by a variation in the size anddesign of the particles and the depth ofthe texture ma be varied by avariation in the ressure wit which such particles are forced against theclay column.

Referring to Figure 2 it will be seen that when in normal operationduring the process of making brick column 3 moves out of die 11- slowlyand as it does so the surface of column -.3-- at point -12- is smooth;but a smooth finish is not usually desired on face brick for the reasonthat it does not have a texture which produces a beautiful light andshadow effect on the face of the brick when the light of the sun shineson the brick when in a wall and it is to produce the attractivevariations in light and shadow and color variations in the face of thebrick that efforts have been made to secure an attractive texture onface brick.

Numerous attempts have been made to texture face brick and some pleasingteatures have been produced, but among brick manufacturers there haslong been a desire to produce a face brick with a texture that would bedelicate and natural and ap ear on the surface to be untouched by mecianical devices as if the brick fare texture were pro duced by breakinga brick in two as far as the appearance of the surface texture is concerued and it is this result with its possible variations that I obtainwith the device and method recited herein. As cla column --3- movesforward out of the is -11- the smooth )art -12- of the column passesunder nozzle T as it passes by nozzles --5- and and at this point, thegranulated clay coming out of hopper -l-- through nozzles --5:. -6-- and-i'- is forcibly blown against plastic col man ---3- by a pressure ofair or steam through pipes 8, -9 and -10- where the compressed air orsteam in passing out of nozzles -5-. --6- and -7-- suck with it a steadystream of granulated clay and the like with a variable pressure blowingthe same forcibly against the plastic surface of the clay columnproducing a multitude of little irregular depressions pricked into thesurface in sizes varying with the size and shape of the granularparticles blown and 1n depth varying with the amount of pressure withwhich the particles are blown against the plastic surface.

When the powdered particles 13- are blown against the top surface of theclay column -3- they would ordinarily bounce up and fall back down ontop of the clay column but ll provide a. guard -1-l and an integralcatch member --15- for catching the granular particles and carrying themoff to the side of the clay column from which the may fall to theground.

After the clay column has received the forceful application of thegranular particles against the surface thereof it goes on to the cuttingmachine which cuts the column up into a plurality of brick units asshown in Figure 6.

By referring to Figure 5 in detail, it will be observed that by theshape of guard --14rand pan 15-- they are adapted to provide means forquickly and easily carrying the granular particles oil to the side ofthe clay column and it will also be noted that the lower guard -l6normally rests down close to the clay column and when the same isadjusted to the normal operating position it is close enough to thepoint of a plication of the granular particles to the c ay column thatthe granular particles will normally bounce over the front edge of guard-16 and alight on pan --l5.

To those skilled in the art of manufacturmg brick, it will be evidentthat the details of structure may be varied somewhat for convenience andeconomy of manufacture and operation to suit the situation in which thedevice is adapted to operate and yet not depart from the spirit andscope of my invention.

Having thus disclosed the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. The method of ornamenting plastic surfaces of a clay stream inplastic state comprising projecting against the surfaces granules ofmaterial on a fluid current at such velocity whereby said granules willscarify the surface and deflect from the surface.

2. The method of ornamenting plastic surfaces of a clay stream in aplastic state comprising angularly projecting against the surfacesgranules of material on a fluid current at a velocity whereby they willscore the surfaces and deflect therefrom.

3. The method of ornamenting plastic surfaces in a plastic state comrising angularly projectin against the sur aces granules of material ina iluid current at an angle and velocity whereby said granules willscarify the surface and deflect therefrom.

4. The method of ornamenting plastic surfaces of a clay stream inplastic state comprising angularly projecting scarifying granules on afluid current against the plastic surface at such velocity and at anangle whereby it will scarify the surfaces and deflect therefrom.

5. The method of scarifying a plastic surface of a clay stream in aplastic state comprising angularly projecting scaril'ying' granulesagainst the surface at such velocity and at an angle whereby thegranules will deflect from the surface.

6. The method of scarifying a plastic surface of a moving clay stream inplastic state comprising angularly projecting scarifying granules on afluid current against the plastic surface during its movement and atsuch velocity and angle whereby it will scarify the surface and deflecttherefrom.

7. The method of scarifying a plastic surface of a clay stream in aplastic state horizontally digposed and comprising projecting angular-1yownwardly onto the surface on a fluid current granules at such velocityand at an angle whereby it will scarify the surface and deflectangularly upwardly and finally discharging the deflected granules beyondthe sides of the clay stream.

8. The method of scarifying a plastic surface of a clay stream in aplastic state horiaontally dis osed and comprising projecting angularlyownwardly onto the surface on a u d current granules at suchvelocity'and at an angle whereby it will scarify the surface and deflectangularly upwardly and finally discharging the deflected granules beyondthe side of the clay stream.

lln witness whereof, I hereunto set my hand this 18th day of August A.D. 1926.

EllIMETT "l POSTON.

